Career and Education Opportunities for Art Directors in Thornton, Colorado

There is a wide variety of career and education opportunities for art directors in the Thornton, Colorado area. There are currently 1,180 jobs for art directors in Colorado and this is projected to grow by 6% to about 1,250 jobs by 2016. This is not quite as good as the national trend for art directors, which sees this job pool growing by about 11.7% over the next eight years. In general, art directors formulate design concepts and presentation approaches, and direct workers engaged in art work, layout design, and copy writing for visual communications media, such as magazines, books, and packaging.

Art directors earn approximately $30 per hour or $64,270 per year on average in Colorado. Nationally they average about $37 per hour or $76,980 annually. Earnings for art directors are better than earnings in the general category of Art and Design in Colorado and better than general Art and Design category earnings nationally. Jobs in this field include: art department head, product marketing manager, and art coordinator.

There are fifty-nine schools of higher education in the Thornton area, including five within twenty-five miles of Thornton where you can get a degree to start your career as an art director. Given that the most common education level for art directors is an Associate's, or other 2-year degree, you can expect to spend about two years studying to be an art director if you already have a high school diploma.

Art directors formulate basic layout designs and presentation approaches and specify material details, such as style and size of type. They also talk with creative or production department heads to consider client requirements and presentation concepts and to direct creative efforts. Equally important, art directors have to develop custom illustrations or other graphic elements. They are often called upon to inspect and approve art materials and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members. They are expected to inspect illustrative material to establish if it conforms to standards and specifications. Finally, art directors talk with clients to establish objectives and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.

Every day, art directors are expected to be able to be creative and generate new ideas. They need to see details at a very fine level of focus.

It is important for art directors to mark up and complete layouts and write typography instructions to ready materials for typesetting or printing. They are often called upon to hire and direct staff members who develop layout concepts into art layouts or who ready layouts for printing. They also oversee own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements. They are sometimes expected to attend photo shoots and printing sessions to insure that the products needed are obtained. Somewhat less frequently, art directors are also expected to ready detailed storyboards showing sequence and timing of story development for television production.

Art directors sometimes are asked to negotiate with printers and estimators to establish what services will be performed. and coordinate with creative directors to optimize layout solutions. And finally, they sometimes have to attend photo shoots and printing sessions to insure that the products needed are obtained.

Like many other jobs, art directors must be reliable and be thorough and dependable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Thornton include:

Craftsman. Create or reproduce hand-made objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, weaving, and needlecraft.

Director. Interpret script, conduct rehearsals, and direct activities of cast and technical crew for stage, motion pictures, or radio programs.

Graphic Designer. Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.

Industrial Designer. Develop and design manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys. Combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.

Interior Designer. Plan, design, and furnish interiors of residential, commercial, or industrial buildings. Formulate design which is practical, aesthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, such as raising productivity, selling merchandise, or improving life style. May specialize in a particular field, style, or phase of interior design.

Multi-Media Artist or Animator. Create special effects, animation, or other visual images using film, video, or other electronic tools and media for use in products or creations, such as computer games, movies, and commercials.

Music Director. Direct and conduct instrumental or vocal performances by musical groups.

Public Relations Specialist. Engage in promoting or creating good will for individuals, groups, or organizations by writing or selecting favorable publicity material and releasing it through various communications media. May prepare and arrange displays, and make speeches.

Set and Exhibit Designer. Design special exhibits and movie, television, and theater sets. May study scripts, confer with directors, and conduct research to determine appropriate architectural styles.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Art Director Training

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design - Denver, CO

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, 1600 Pierce St, Denver, CO 80214. Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design is a small college located in Denver, Colorado. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 573 students and an admission rate of 99%. Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design has a bachelor's degree program in Graphic Design which graduated eight students in 2008.

Westwood College-Denver South - Denver, CO

Westwood College-Denver South, 3150 S Sheridan Blvd, Denver, CO 80227. Westwood College-Denver South is a small college located in Denver, Colorado. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 404 students and an admission rate of 98%. Westwood College-Denver South has an associate's degree program in Graphic Design which graduated three students in 2008.

Community College of Denver - Denver, CO

Community College of Denver, 1111 W. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80204-2026. Community College of Denver is a medium sized college located in Denver, Colorado. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 8,006 students. Community College of Denver has a one to two year and an associate's degree program in Graphic Design which graduated one and three students respectively in 2008.

The Art Institute of Colorado - Denver, CO

The Art Institute of Colorado, 1200 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO 80203-2983. The Art Institute of Colorado is a small school located in Denver, Colorado. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 3,069 students and an admission rate of 45%. The Art Institute of Colorado has one to two year, associate's degree, and bachelor's degree programs in Graphic Design which graduated four, thirty-two, and thirty-nine students respectively in 2008.

Colorado Technical University - Greenwood Village, CO

Colorado Technical University, 5775 Denver Tech Ctr Blvd, Greenwood Village, CO 80111-3201. Colorado Technical University is a small university located in Greenwood Village, Colorado. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 1,010 students. Colorado Technical University has an associate's degree and a bachelor's degree program in Graphic Design which graduated three and two students respectively in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Graphic Communication Manager:
The In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association's (IPMA) Certified Graphic Communications Manager (CGCM) designation was created in 1976 to establish a professional standard of proficiency for the in-house graphic arts and printing management profession.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Thornton, Colorado

Thornton, Colorado photo by bonjourpeewee

Thornton is located in Adams County, Colorado. It has a population of over 113,429, which has grown by 37.7% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Thornton, 94, is below the national average. New single-family homes in Thornton are priced at $176,300 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, two hundred ninety-five new homes were constructed in Thornton, down from four hundred eighty-four the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Thornton are educational services, health care, and finance and insurance. For men, it is construction, professional, scientific, and technical services, and administrative and support and waste management services. The average commute to work is about 29 minutes. More than 19.9% of Thornton residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 4.8%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Thornton is 6.3%, which is less than Colorado's average of 6.6%.

The percentage of Thornton residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 30.4%, is less than both the national and state average. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the LDS (Mormon) Church and the Lutheran Church.